


you are everything i didn't know i needed

by egnlotsc



Series: Meet-Cutes and Cliches [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic Fluff, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Happy Ending, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:34:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28157640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/egnlotsc/pseuds/egnlotsc
Summary: "If you would have told him three hours ago that he was currently stuck in a darkened grocery store with a girl who knew just how to get under his skin and no way out, Percy would have laughed. How he ended up in this predicament, he'll never quite understand."Percabeth meet-cute AU where all Percy wants is to help out his mom but he soon finds himself stuck in a grocery store with a girl he can't stand (or so he thinks) and all night ahead of him.-or the one where Percy gets more than he bargained out of a simple trip to the grocery store, but maybe, just maybe, things will work out in ways he never imagined
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Series: Meet-Cutes and Cliches [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2062851
Comments: 2
Kudos: 36





	you are everything i didn't know i needed

If you would have told him three hours ago that he was currently stuck in a darkened grocery store with a girl who knew just how to get under his skin and no way out, Percy would have laughed. How he ended up in this predicament, he'll never quite understand, but he supposes it would be best to start at the beginning.

9:33pm

Percy sighed into the receiver with barley-vailed exasperation. "Mom, I can't. Don't you have a car?" Deep down, he felt terrible for the attitude he was pulling with his mother, but his day was getting worse and worse as each hour passed. "Estelle's fever is getting worse, Percy, and Paul's meeting is running late. I wouldn't have called you if I was able to get the medicine myself." A few seconds of internal debating led to his response, "Of course, Mom. I'll see you in an hour or so." 

As he pulled the car into park, he mentally prepared for the late-night grocery rush of a Saturday night. It seemed there was a reason his city was nicknamed "The City that Never Sleeps". After grabbing a cart and walking the long distance from his car, he immediately headed for the aisle near the back of the store that housed the medicine and health products, one he knew well due to the years he spent labeled as an "accident-prone" child, or at least that's what his mother liked to tell him. 

When he entered the aisle, he was too preoccupied in his mission to notice the girl a few feet away from him, who had her head buried in her phone, heading straight towards him. Just as he reached the shelf that held the medicine that matched his mother's overly specific description, he felt someone slam into his side. 

It took Percy a few seconds to reorient himself and assess his situation, which lead to the discovery that his arms were currently wrapped around the waist of the girl who had crashed into him. When he looked up at her from where she had landed on top of him, she looked slightly dazed before her gaze drifted to her phone lying a few feet away, the large crack in the glass visible from their position on the hard tile floor. 

She scowled so fiercely it made him uneasy as she pushed herself off of him, scampering over to the device and scooping it up. Spinning on her heel, she marched over to where he was still sprawled on the floor and leaned down, her startling grey eyes glaring daggers at him as she dangled her phone in his face. "Thanks a lot, jerk," she snarled. 

Percy pulled himself off of the floor into a standing position, quickly realizing he was at least six inches taller than her, even with the white heels she was wearing. He also took that time to take in the rest of her appearance. Her curly blonde hair spilled over her shoulders, complimenting the off-the-shoulder floral blouse and jeans she wore. 

He held up his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry! I didn't see you." She rolled her eyes at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Of course you didn't." Percy narrowed his eyes at her, trying to gauge her motive. It wasn't every day random girls verbally assaulted him in the grocery store. "What is that supposed to mean?" She huffed, looking him straight in the eye. "Wouldn't you like to know," she muttered, raking her gaze over him. 

If there was one thing Percy didn't like, it was unjustified judgement - and this girl was dangerously close to crossing the line. "Look, I'm just trying to get medicine. Now if you wouldn't mind, you're in my way." He hadn't meant for the sentence to come out in the way it did. Sally Jackson raised her son well, but he couldn't control the venom dripping off of the words. Something about this girl pulled it out of him. 

The girl moved an inch to the side, crossing her arms defiantly. Percy rolled his eyes, moving past her to grab the box off of the shelf until he realized he could still feel her angered stare on his back. He spun around, tucking the box under his arm. "What?" She laughed bitterly. "Nothing, nothing at all." Percy had enough of this girl's superiority complex. He stepped closer to her, watching her eyes widen slightly as he approached. 

"Just tell me what I could have possibly done to bother you, Princess." He spit the last word out, silently enjoying the indignation that flared across her face. "Don't call me that," she sneered, poking her finger into his chest. "You're just so-so..." she trailed off, gesturing wildly at his form. He glanced down at his plain leather jacket before raising an eyebrow at her. "I'm not sure I follow." She sighed frustratedly, and he could practically see the gears turning in her head. 

She opened her mouth to reply when suddenly the lights switched off, and Percy suddenly registered the dead silence that followed. "What the..." he trailed off, his head swirling with questions. The girl gasped, glancing down at her watch before stomping her heel. She gave him a look filled with such hatred he was surprised she didn't strangle him. "The store closes at ten, you idiot!" She exclaimed. Percy took the time to glance down at his own watch, the numbers revealing the thirty minutes he had spent arguing with the girl a few feet away. 

"Don't they normally clean at the end of the day?" Percy wondered aloud, momentarily forgetting the furious woman in front of him. He could hear the outrage as she replied. "It's a holiday weekend, meaning the employees go home early and they clean on Monday night." He rolled his eyes at her deliberate, berating tone. "Right. Well, what are we going to do now? My sister needs this medicine." In the dim light provided by the nearby freezer section, Percy could see the girl's expression soften slightly. Leave it to Estelle to have an impact on someone who doesn't even know her. 

"Is...is she okay?" The girl's voice was timid, a complete one eighty from the anger laced through it not two minutes ago. He nodded in response. "She has a fever. My mom and stepdad weren't able to go to the store, so they asked me. But it looks as though she won't be receiving this medicine anytime soon." A few seconds passed in silence before the girl gripped his hand, startling him. "C'mon," she exclaimed urgently, pulling him through the aisles and towards the front of the store. 

They skidded to a stop in front of the large glass sliding doors. The girl stepped towards them, reaching out her hand. They waited for a moment before he could see her shoulders slump in defeat. She turned to him, the regret evident on her face. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Percy resisted the urge to reach out and pull her into his arms - then immediately wondered where the thought came from. He just met this girl thirty minutes ago, but something about her drew him in. He wanted to know more about her, even with the hostility she had shown him not ten minutes prior. 

"It's alright," he replied honestly. He reached into his pocket to text him mother and tell her the news before cursing under his breath. The girl's head snapped up at the sound. "What's wrong?" She asked, the concern evident in her face. "I left my phone in my car." She glanced at him regretfully before holding up her own phone. "And mine's dead. That's why I ran into you, I was trying to finish an email before it died." He couldn't resist smirking at her words. "Ah, so you finally admit that you ran into me?" She scowled at him. "Don't push your luck, Mr. Leather Jacket," she quipped in response. 

Percy's grin widened at the nickname. "Well, Princess, what do you suggest we do about this?" "Stop calling me that," she grumbled, glancing around the expansive space surrounding them. "We're just going to have to wait it out. I don't think anyone will come until around nine in the morning tomorrow." He nodded, gesturing to an aisle that was illuminated by the light from the freezer section. "Let's sit down." She followed him, sitting across from him and tucking her legs underneath her. "So..." he began, unable to decide where the conversation should go. "I think I should know your name if you want me to stop calling you Princess, no promises though." The slight smile that accompanied her reaction made the teasing worth it for him. 

"I'm Annabeth," she replied, and Percy found himself letting the name slide off of his tongue. "Annabeth...that suits you." She grinned slightly, eyeing him. "Only fair you tell me yours," she replied. "I'm Percy." When her eyes sparkled in the dim light, Percy knew that this girl was someone he wanted to get to know. 

12:48am

"Percy, where is the cookie dough ice cream?" Annabeth's voice reverberated through the empty store. Percy glanced up from his position crouched in front of the lawn chairs. "Freezer section," he yelled in response, scooping two large chairs in his arms before making his way to where Annabeth was standing in front of one of the many freezers. 

"I know that, smart-alek," she snipped, accepting the chair he handed her. "I meant which freezer. If I don't get ice cream, I'm going to have a meltdown." He grinned at the borderline insane look on her face before pointing towards the freezer behind her, the ice cream container perched on the top shelf. Annabeth glanced at it and back at him, her predicament clear in her expression. 

In response, Percy leaned against one of the shelves, crossing his arms across his chest and shooting her a challenging glace. She glared at him, causing his heart to flutter slightly. He admitted that the past three hours with her had caused some feelings to emerge, but he chose to bury them. It didn't mean he couldn't tease her, though. "Something wrong?" he asked, enjoying the exasperation in her expression. "No," Annabeth replied indignantly, spinning around and yanking the door open, lifting herself up onto her tippy-toes. 

Percy watched with amusement as Annabeth tried her best to reach the top shelf, trying his hardest to ignore the curve of her waist as she stretched. After a few more seconds of struggling, she stepped down and faced him, her face twisted in defeat accompanied by a slight blush tinting her cheeks. "Can you help?" She muttered, refusing to meet his gaze. He smirked, walking up to the freezer and easily grabbing the container off of the shelf. When Percy handed her the ice cream, Annabeth looked up at him, a stray curl falling into her eyes, and Percy could feel himself falling for her harder than he already was. 

2:17am

Annabeth giggled loudly, her spoon scraping the bottom of the empty ice cream container as she smacked Percy in the arm. "I can't believe you said that to your teacher, Perce!" He grinned in response, his gut hurting from laughing so hard. "You know me, I attract conflict," he drawled sarcastically, enjoying the way Annabeth rolled her eyes in retaliation. "You wish you did." Annabeth yawned slightly, setting the container on the ground beside of her. "I have a meeting tomorrow at noon..." she trailed off, and Percy nodded in understanding. "I wasn't able to find any blankets or sleeping bags that weren't packaged," he noted, eyeing Annabeth's reaction. 

She sighed before gesturing towards the floor. "Well, at least I can cross 'slept on the floor of a grocery store' off of my bucket list," she quipped, eliciting a chuckle from Percy. Percy allowed her to lie down first, not even bothering to hide the fact that he was watching the way she curled up, her heels abandoned by the chair she previously occupied. He followed her motion, respectfully keeping his distance from her form. "Good night, Annabeth," he whispered, smiling when he heard a soft, "Night, Perce," in response. 

4:29am

Percy awoke to a sound coming from near him. Glancing over, he noticed Annabeth's sleeping frame shaking as she curled further into herself. He quickly realized that she had no sweater or coat with her, and they were sleeping in the freezer section. Percy didn't think before shrugging off his leather jacket - the same one she had made fun of hours before - and gently making his way over to where she was. He draped the jacket over her, smiling slightly when he realized it covered her entirely. 

Percy wanted to pull her into him to keep her warm, but he resisted, moving back to his original spot. A few minutes had passed before he felt movement next to him and a soft voice whispered his name. He turned on his side, glancing up at Annabeth's sleepy face framed by her curls. "I'm still cold," she whispered, a blush spreading across her face. He smiled softly, opening his arms and watching her curl up against him, her head buried in his chest as his arms wrapped around her small waist. 

Annabeth placed her hand on his chest, glancing up at him. "Thank you. For everything." Percy tightened his grip on her in response. "Of course, Princess." She smiled sleepily before placing a feather-light kiss on his cheek. He spent the next few minutes lying awake as her intoxicating lemon scent surrounded him; her soft breathing filling the silence as he wondered how he got so lucky. 

7:05am

Percy awoke with a warmth pressed against his side, and it took him a few moments to remember where he was. When he did, he couldn't stop the smile spreading across his face as he glanced down at the girl in his arms. Annabeth had her back facing him, her fingers tangled with his with his leather jacket wrapped around her body. Suddenly, she shifted, her eyes fluttering open as she took in her surroundings. When she glanced down at the arm curled around her waist, she turned around to face him, an adorable blush spreading across her cheeks. 

"Hey," she whispered, and Percy grinned. "Hey, Princess." She smacked his chest weakly, grinning nonetheless. Annabeth sat up fully, before looking him in eye. "Look...I know I already said it but thank you for staying with me. I don't do well on my own." He gently pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes before responding. "Of course, Beth. It's not like I could have gone anywhere, anyway," he teased, causing her to glare at him slightly. "Shut up," she replied, but the malice in her words was nonexistent. 

Their eyes locked and Percy felt the rightness of the situation all through him. He pulled her closer, taking in her sparking grey eyes, pink cheeks, and messy blonde hair. He glanced down at Annabeth's lips, then back at her, hoping she could read the question written in his eyes. She looked up him before nodding, her lips spreading into a grin. He slipped his arms around her waist, his hands brushing the skin underneath her blouse slightly as hers went around his neck. "You ready, Princess?" he whispered, enjoying the ways her eyes lit up. "Always," was all she could respond before his mouth settled over hers. 

Percy's heart beat quicker as a soft sigh escaped her mouth before she threaded her fingers into his hair, making it more of a mess than it already was. He cupped her cheek with one hand, deepening the kiss and gently biting her bottom lip. Her soft whimper that followed his movement caused him to grin into the kiss, before pulling her onto his lap fully and kissing her deeply. Annabeth's hands continued to mess his hair as his slipped under her blouse slightly. She shivered slightly, pulling herself closer to him and running a hand across his jaw. 

She pulled back after a few moments and Percy took in her kiss-swollen lips and her dark pink cheeks, his face pulling into a soft dreamy smile that he didn't bother to disguise. "Beth," he whispered, catching her gaze. "Do you want to go on a date with me? A real one." She grinned, pulling his mouth down to hers for another mind-numbing kiss that was too short in his opinion. "Of course, you idiot." With that, he pulled her down next to him, peppering kisses over her face. "This has got to be the weirdest meet-cute in the history of meet-cutes, ever," she giggled and he smothered his grin in her neck, breathing in her lemony scent. "But it lead me to you," he whispered, pressing his lips to hers. 

9:17am

Percy placed a chaste kiss on his sister's head before kissing his mom's cheek in goodbye, shutting the door behind him. He climbed into his car, turning towards Annabeth who sat in his passenger seat and grabbing her hand, a dreamy smile plastered on his face as they drove away. 

**

9:55pm

"Percy, we have to hurry!" the girl exclaimed, gripping his hand as she pulled him through the aisles, the exasperation evident in her features. Percy smiled at the familarity of the situation, allowing his wife to tug him towards the medicine aisle. "We have five minutes until the store closes, and Charlie needs the medicine." "I know, Princess. We don't need a repeat of what happened five years ago," he winked at her, causing her to roll her eyes. "Stop it, Perce. This is serious." Percy plucked the box off of the shelf, tucking it under his arm and slipping the other around Annabeth's waist as they rushed towards the check out. 

11:37pm

Percy gently closed the bathroom door behind him, walking over to the drawer to grab a shirt. He glanced up and his gaze landed on Annabeth's sleeping form in the bed, her curly blonde hair splayed across the pillow and one of his old shirts hanging off of her small frame. He grinned, pulling the shirt over his head and slipping under the covers. 

Annabeth shifted beside him, turning to face him as a sleep smile spread across her face. "I love you," she whispered, curling into his side. Her left hand splayed across his chest, the soft light of the moon through the window catching on the glittering diamonds of her wedding rings. Percy picked up her hand, kissing it before turning towards her, pulling her closer by the waist and kissing her thoroughly on the mouth. He couldn't help but enjoy the way her soft lips moved against his, reminding him of all of those years ago on the floor of the grocery store. 

"I love you too, Princess," he whispered before falling asleep with his wife beside him and their two-year old son fast asleep in the room across the hallway, his dream come true. 

**Author's Note:**

> This one-shot is entirely inspired by one of my favorite books of all time, "By Your Side" by Kasie West! If you like this concept, go read her book. It's 100x better and completely adorable!
> 
> I'm not sure how I feel about this one, but I decided to put it out anyway for the world to see. This is the beginning of my new series of Percabeth (and maybe Caleo) one-shots based off of cliche and not-so-cliche meet-cutes! I tried my best with this work, and I tried to make it as realistic as possible - but let's face it, nothing about this is realistic. 
> 
> Let me know if you would like me to continue this series! Thank you for the massive support on my recent posts, you guys are awesome and I'm so greatful!
> 
> See you next time :)


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